Vygotsky was a Russian theorist who founded the Zone of Proximal Development.
His research is geared toward the study of language and the importance it has in a child's development.
The only information that I had prior to reading the article was on the website Wikipedia. I knew that anyone could post information on the website and anyone could edit information as well. After reading the article, I learned a lot about wiki’s that I did not know before. There are wiki’s that require a login and it made for only authorized users, which is great for educational resources. There are also different types of security: soft and hard. To be honest, I think that a majority of wiki’s should have hard security. I understand that an open environment encourages participation, but I would be nervous that someone had a negative attitude toward the subject and was changing information.
My district does not have a policy pertaining to Wikipedia, but I think it should. After reading the article, I am not opposed to wiki’s in a classroom environment, but I am opposed to Wikipedia. If a student is searching for information, why not just search the encyclopedia online or the almanac? Or how about a regular accredited website? Now, I do agree with specified wiki’s to be used in the classroom. A wiki that requires a login is acceptable for students. I do think that the wiki will still promote an active participation, but at least you know that only registered users are entering and sharing information on the wiki page.
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Educational Theorist: Lev Vygotsky
Vygotsky was a Russian theorist who founded the Zone of Proximal Development.
His research is geared toward the study of language and the importance it has in a child's development.
"Wide Open Spaces" and Wikipedia Thoughts
The only information that I had prior to reading the article was on the website Wikipedia. I knew that anyone could post information on the website and anyone could edit information as well. After reading the article, I learned a lot about wiki’s that I did not know before. There are wiki’s that require a login and it made for only authorized users, which is great for educational resources. There are also different types of security: soft and hard. To be honest, I think that a majority of wiki’s should have hard security. I understand that an open environment encourages participation, but I would be nervous that someone had a negative attitude toward the subject and was changing information.My district does not have a policy pertaining to Wikipedia, but I think it should. After reading the article, I am not opposed to wiki’s in a classroom environment, but I am opposed to Wikipedia. If a student is searching for information, why not just search the encyclopedia online or the almanac? Or how about a regular accredited website? Now, I do agree with specified wiki’s to be used in the classroom. A wiki that requires a login is acceptable for students. I do think that the wiki will still promote an active participation, but at least you know that only registered users are entering and sharing information on the wiki page.
Best Practices and Lesson Activities